PGA Championship Betting – Third Time’s A Charm For Westwood

July 28, 2010

Online betting players know that you have to lose a few times to learn how to win, and that appears to be the case for England’s Lee Westwood as we head to the final major of the year, the PGA Championship.  Westwood has come close this year, in and out of the majors, but he’ll finally come through at Whistling Straits.

What: Golf Odds
When: Thursday, August 12th- Sunday, August 15th
Where: Whistling Straits, Haven, WI
Defending Champion: Y.E. Yang

The Storyline

The last time that the PGA Championship was held at Whistling Straits was 2004, when Vijay Singh held off Chris DiMarco and Justin Leonard in a playoff despite shooting a +4 in the final round.  Y.E. Yang is the defending champion after storming back to beat Tiger Woods at Hazeltine in Minnesota, and we could have another surprise winner after what has occurred in the majors this year.  While Phil Mickelson’s win at the Masters could have been expected, no one saw Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell taking the US Open at Pebble Beach, and especially, South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen’s slaughter of the field in the British Open at St. Andrews.

PGA Championship Betting – The Favorites

Tiger Woods (+450): The signs are encouraging for Woods, who was T-23 at St. Andrews, and he’ll be hungry to avoid his second straight major-less year, the first time that has happened since 2003 and 2004.  However, that T-23 was his lowest result in a major since Whistling Straits in 2004, when Woods came in T-24, and unless he figures something out with the putter, he won’t be able to lift his fifth Wanamaker Trophy.  Put him down for a top-10, though.

Phil Mickelson (+815):  We can throw out Mickelson’s T-48 at St. Andrews, as he never does well at the British Open due to his high ball flight.  He was T-6 at Whistling Straits in 2004, but like Singh, he struggled on the Sunday with a 74.  You get the feeling that Mickelson will challenge at some point, but his wayward driving could hurt him.

Lee Westwood (+1215): Westwood is turning into Mr. Consistency, or he can’t win the big ones, depending on who you speak to.  Westwood’s second-place result at St. Andrews was his fourth finish of second or third in the last five majors, and both runners-up came this year at Augusta and St. Andrews.  He missed the cut in 2004, but Westwood is a much better player now, and you would think he would have to come through at some point, right? 

Rory McIlroy (+1415): The kid excited us with a Thursday 63 at St. Andrews, then the Old Course bit him for an 80 on the next day in insanely windy conditions, and McIlroy was left with a T-3 result.  He’s going to win a major sooner than you think, but this year has been up and down for McIlroy, and we’re banking on a letdown at Whistling Straits.

PGA Championship Betting – The Second Tier

Paul Casey (+2550): Casey collapsed to a final-round 75 at St. Andrews to settle for a T-3, and he missed the cut at the Canadian Open, but he’s solid from tee to green, he just has to settle his nerves.  Casey missed the cut here in 2004, but like Westwood, he’s far improved as a player.

Steve Stricker (+2850): Golf betting players may be apt to take the homefield advantage: Stricker is a Wisconsin native who loves playing in the Midwest, so he’ll be excited for this tournament.  Stricker has made the cut in all three majors this year, and has never finished higher than 30th, but we’re taking him for a top-10, at least.

Luke Donald (+3550): Donald actually finshed T-24 here in 2004, and he followed up his T-11 at the British Open with a third-place result at the Canadian Open.  Donald has been very consistent this year, and he may be finally ready to fulfill the promise many saw in him when he turned pro in 2001.

PGA Championship Betting – The Longshots

Henrik Stenson (+5050): Stenson is coming off a T-3 at St. Andrews in which he had a hot putter, and after a few injuries, the long-hitting Swede will be dangerous at Whistling Straits.

K.J. Choi (+6550): Choi’s year has been adventurous as he began with a T-4 at Augusta, and it declined from there until he won the Scandinavian Masters last weekend.  Choi was T-6 at Whistling Straits in 2004.

Ryo Ishikawa (+8050): The 18-year-old shows no nerves whatsoever, going from a missed cut at Augusta to a T-33 at Pebble Beach, and a T-27 at St. Andrews (playing alongside Tom Watson at the last two tournaments, no less).  He’s probably more likely to win than McIlroy, his 21-year-old colleague. 

PGA Championship Sports betting & Outlook

We’re taking Westwood to learn from his past mistakes this season and come through in the clutch at Whistling Straits.  He didn’t lose the Masters, he was beaten by Mickelson.  Even at the US Open, Westwood was T-16 and always in the mix.  He played solid golf at St. Andrews, but no one was beating a red-hot Oosthuizen.   It’s Westwood’s week in Wisconsin, so take him in your sports betting picks for the PGA Championship.

PGA Championship Betting Pick: Lee Westwood +1415